The photographer retains ownership and copyright of any submitted images. You are providing limited permission to MSF to use the image in the calendar, on the front page of marathonswimmers.org, and the MSF facebook page.

MSF cannot provide financial compensation for the use of any photos. However, owners of any images selected for the final calendar will receive a free copy of the calendar, and name recognition below the printed photo.

Photos should be recognizably about some aspect of swimming (i.e., not just pure landscape).

Photos of swimmers' arms will only be selected if they are truly extraordinary - because everyone submits photos of swimmers' arms.

@evmo, I bet you get many good photos that don't get selected. Maybe you are already doing this...and I am unaware, but it would be cool if you provided the many runners-up for each calendar year in a yearly gallery that could be viewed.

As in previous years, technical merit was the primary consideration, followed by (in no particular order) geographical diversity, gender balance, and unusual subjects or perspectives.

We had several professional-quality submissions - by highly skilled photographers with high quality equipment - these will always have an advantage. Hence the multi-year appearances of Peter Ray and Ken Classen. Newcomer David Travis made a splash with a stunning portrait of Ted Erikson (February) and a December silhouette at the same location (Promontory Point, Chicago). Ted turns 90 years old in February, incidentally.

With both Ken Classen and Cathy Delneo documenting Sarah Thomas' Lake Champlain swim with DSLR cameras, there were enough amazing images to fill an entire calendar of Sarah's swim alone. The fact that Sarah was also featured twice in last year's calendar was not considered. We're fortunate to live in an era where someone can swim 80 miles one year.... and follow it up with a 104.6 mile swim the next year. The calendar selection reflects this.

@Superfish Jeff Miller's appearance in the otherworldly blue waters of the Virgin Islands is especially poignant given the subsequent devastation from hurricanes.

I bet you get many good photos that don't get selected. Maybe you are already doing this...and I am unaware, but it would be cool if you provided the many runners-up for each calendar year in a yearly gallery that could be viewed.

we will offer a few runners-up.

Starting with Dave's submission, a beautiful photo-of-a-photo, of unknown provenance. This is Leonore Modell, one of the first to swim the length of Lake Tahoe, in 1963 at age 13.

Another runner-up, this is @batches during the 3 Rivers Marathon Swim. Thanks @ForeverSwim for this submission... wonderful view of both the Pittsburgh skyline and arguably the best marathon 'flyer swimming today.

How did this photo not make the calendar? I'm really just curious. I may be partial because I was on (not in) the water that day. That high elbow of Tom's peeping out in front of the police boat is just an amazing shot.

Goodness knows what thoughts were going through Tom's mind as he heard all those ridiculous jetskis go past, he must of thought he was under attack! Must have sounded like a swarm of bees going past...

Those of us lucky enough to know Tom, aka "reptile" short for "reptile brain"- know that he was completely oblivious. He had no idea! Which is probably a good thing.
Reptile brain is a compliment... just fyi. :)

Looking for the next big thing.. ... @suzieswimcoach
www.suziedodsswimcoaching.com

Just blown away by the beauty of the runner-up photos.
MSF could do a coffee table book on "The Aesthetics of Marathon Swimming"...maybe coupled with good documentation. Would be a neat gift for marathon swimming geeks, families, and support systems.

Lynnkub said:
Just blown away by the beauty of the runner-up photos.
MSF could do a coffee table book on "The Aesthetics of Marathon Swimming"...maybe coupled with good documentation. Would be a neat gift for marathon swimming geeks, families, and support systems.

That's a great idea. And with outfits like SnapFish, probably doable. Hmm...